Occupational Fatalities in Oregon - ohsu.edu Fatalities in Oregon ... • Melodie Bianchini Emeritus FACE Staff ... 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, L606 Portland, OR 97239-3098

Occupational Fatalities in Oregon

Annual Report 2013

Oregon Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation(OR-FACE)

2

FACE Definitions

The Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program investigates work-related fatalities that are caused by a traumatic injury when the injury occurs within

Oregon.

A location within Oregon means the incident, or some portion of the incident, occurs within the geographical boundaries of the state of Oregon, including the coastal waters, airspace, and subterranean portions of the state.

A work relationship exists if an incident occurs (a) on the employer’s premises and the person was there to work, or (b) off the employer’s premises and the person was there to work, or the event or exposure was related to the person’s work or status as an employee.

Work is defined as duties, activities, or tasks that produce a product or result, are done in exchange for money, goods, services, profit, or benefit, and are legal activities.

In Scope

• Self-employed,family,orvolunteerworkers,exposedtothesameworkhazardsandperform the same duties or functions as paid employees and that meet the work-relationship criteria.

• Suicidesandhomicidesthatmeetthework-relationshipcriteria.

• Fataleventsorexposuresthatoccurwhenapersonisintravelstatus,ifthetravelisfor work purposes or is a condition of employment (excluding commute).

Out of Scope

• Institutionalizedpersons,includinginmatesofpenalandmentalinstitutions,sanitariums, and homes for the aged, infirm and needy, unless employed off the premises of their institutions.

• Fatalheartattacksandstrokes,unlesscausallyrelatedtoatraumaticinjuryorexposure.

• Fataleventsorexposuresthatoccurduringaperson’srecreationalactivitiesthatarenot required by the employer.

• Fataleventsorexposuresthatoccurduringaperson’scommutetoorfromwork.

AdaptedfromBureauofLaborStatistics(2001),Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: Definitions. U.S.DepartmentofLabor.Availableonline(March11,2004):http://stats.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm

Acronyms BLS U.S.BureauofLaborStatisticsCDC CentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionCFOI U.S.CensusofFatalOccupationalInjuriesNAICS NorthAmericanIndustryClassificationSystemNTSB NationalTransportationSafetyBoardNVDRS NationalViolentDeathReportingSystemOIICS OccupationalInjuryandIllnessClassificationSystemOregonOSHA OregonOccupationalSafetyandHealthDivisionSOC StandardOccupationalClassification

3

OregonInstituteofOccupationalHealthSciences

OregonHealth&ScienceUniversity

FACEStaff(PublicationYear)• RyanOlsonPhD• IllaGilbert-JonesMS,CIH,CSP• Annie Cannon• MelodieBianchini

EmeritusFACEStaff(ReportingYear)• JamieJonesMPH• Annie Cannon

Annual Report2013

Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation

Table of Contents

FACEDefinitions.................................2

ReportSummary ...............................4

Core Activities .....................................5

OR-FACEPublications ......................7

Charts.....................................................9

Abstracts ............................................15

EventDefinitions ............................27

ContactInformation:

OR-FACEProgamOregonInstituteofOccupationalHealthSciences,OHSU3181SWSamJacksonParkRd,L606Portland,OR97239-3098

phone:503.494.2281e-mail:[email protected]

website:www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/oregon-institute-occupational-health-sciences/outreach/or-face/index.cfm

This report is dedicated to the men

and women in Oregon who have lost

their lives as the result of traumatic

workplace injuries, in the hope that better

understanding of these fatal incidents

may help to save the lives of other workers

in similar situations.

OR-FACE is supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (grant #2U60OH008472) through the Oregon Health Authority.

Principal Investigators:Reporting Year - Jae Douglas, PhD, MSWPublication Year - Curtis Cude and Ryan Olson, PhD

CoverphotographbyW.KentAnger

Oregon FACE Program

4

Report Summary

INTRODUCTION

In2013,OregonFatalityAssessment and Control Evaluationrecorded43fataloccupational incidents and worker deaths. The number represents a rateof2.4fatalitiesper100,000employed workers in the civilian labor force in Oregon. The national workerfatalityratein2013was3.3per100,000full-timeequivalentworkers.

The following notable trends occurredin2013.

• The total number of fatalities was lower compared to the last threeyears.In2010,2011,and2012,therewere51,59,and47worker deaths, respectively.

• Transportation for both industry and type of event had the highest number of fatalitiesin2013.OR-FACEdataaccumulatedfrom2003through2013revealedthatthe transporation industry had the most number of fatalities.

• Thehighestnumber(184)offataleventsfrom2003-2013were as a result of motor vehicleincidents.In2013therewere eleven.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

•OR-FACEconductssurveillance,investigation, assessment, and outreach related to traumatic occupational fatalities in Oregon(seepp.5-6fordescriptions of activities).

• OR-FACEpublishedtwoinvestigation reports, Truck driver crushed between semi-trailer and loading dock, and Millwrightfatalityinvolvingahydraulic accumulator.

• Characteristics of fatal events and the workers involved are quantified in charts (see pp.9-14).OR-FACEbegancollectingdatain2003.Somecharts in this report include an insetofOR-FACEdatacollectedfrom2003through2013.

• Abstractsprovideabriefdescription of each incident and contributing factors (see pp.15-26).

• ContactinformationforOR-FACE to access resources and feedback (see back cover).

5

Core Activities

SURVEILLANCE

TheOR-FACE surveillance systemutilizesOregonOSHAfatalitynotifications,quarterlyreports of death certificates marked “at work” from theOregon PublicHealthDivision’sVitalStatistics,adailyscanofaprogrammedGooglekeywordalertandOregonEmergencyResponseSystem (OERS) reports. For2013,earliest first notification for work-related fatalitiesoriginatedmostlyfromOregonOSHA,news media, and vital statistics (see below).

ASSESSMENT

When fatalities are identified as FACEcases, sufficient data and information are collected about each incident for analyses and to produce case abstracts. Assessment data sources for each case include Oregon OSHA investigationreports,MedicalExaminerreports,policeinvestigations, news reports,Workers’Compensation records, and occasionally other records such as business profiles, hospital or emergency response records, or investigation reports from other sources. OR-FACEanalyzesincidentdatatoidentifyand summarize trends. Incidents arecodedandanalyzedbyindustry(NAICS),occupation(SOC),andevent(OIICS),andby demographic and other variables, such as the specific source or setting of the injury. Incidentabstractsarecreatedto illuminate each fatality with the aim of preventing similar fatalities in the future.

Source of notification for OR-FACE incidents

Oregon OSHA 51% (22)

Vital Statistics 19% (8)

Other 16% (7)

Google Alert News Media

14% (6)

Timing of notification following incident

TotalOregonOSHA

Vital Statistics

GoogleAlert Other

0-2 days 34 20 6 6 2

3-30 days 4 2 0 0 2

1-3 months 1 0 1 0 03-6 months 0 0 0 0 0

6-12 months 3 0 1 0 212+ months 1 0 0 0 1

6

Core Activities

INVESTIGATION

In-depth investigations are conducted forselectedcasesbyOR-FACEstaffandcontractorswith relevant industry-specific expertise. ContractorsworkinconjunctionwithOR-FACEstaff to produce investigation reports, which are reviewed by a board of professional safety experts prior to publication. Investigationreports seek to draw urgent attention to safety issues present in the fatality cases. Three investigationreportswerepublishedin2013:OR2010-6-1,Truckdriver crushedbetweensemi-trailer and loadingdock,OR-2011-16-1,Millwright fatality involving a hydraulicaccumulator,andOR2011-50-1,andTimberfaller killed while working under a hung tree limb(seepage8).

TheNationalSafetyCouncilhighlighted theOR-FACEinvestigationreportMechanickilled

by excavator bucket during maintenance in the June2013issueofSafety+Health.

InJuly2013,OR-FACEandOregonOSHAsignedan official letter of agreement to facilitate information sharing to enhance the quality and quantity of FACE fatality investigations and investigation reports in the future, as well as to work together to produce and disseminate comprehensive outreach and educational materials.

OUTREACH

OR-FACEoutreacheffortsincludepublicationsand their distributions, safety events and initiatives, posters, and presentations. Published OR-FACE safety materials aredistributed online, directly by mail, and through collaborationwithpartnerorganizations. In2013OR-FACEdistributed170Fallers Logging Safety booklets to saw shops, schools, and equipment dealers. One hundred Young Workers Stay Alive on the Job! brochures were distributed to a local high school.

The final phase of the tool box talk guide initiative to determine effectiveness of the guideswascompletedin2013.Acollectionofconstructiontoolboxtalkswerefinalizedandtested in the field. A poster of the initiative was presented at theOregonGovernors’OccupationalSafety&HealthConference.

OR-FACEattendedoneoutreachmeetingwiththeOregonOSHABendoffice. Thepurposeof the meeting was to both build a stronger collaborationwithOSHAinvestigatorsandtonominatepastOSHAcasesforfutureOR-FACEinvestigations.

The June 2013monthly newsletter of theAmericanSocietyofSafetyEngineersColumbia-WillametteChapter,SafetyEmphasis,featuredOR-FACEAnnualReport2010. TheNationalSafety Council highlighted the OR-FACEinvestigation report,“Mechanic killed byexcavator bucket during maintenance.”

TheSeptember2013 issueofOregonTruckAdvisorpublishedtheOR-FACEfatalityalert:ParkedVehiclesKill.

Oregon in theWorkplace blogpublished,“ResurfacingBathtubCausesDeathinOregon”onFebruary12,20l3and“OR-FACEReleasesNewResources,”onSeptember28,2013.

OnlineinteractiveFatalityMapswerepublishedDecember2013.

7

2013 Publications

Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation reports are for information, research, or occupational injury control only. OR-FACE is a research program, and has no legal authority to enforce state or federal occupational safety and health standards. The identity of the decedent, employer, and witnesses are not included in reports or alerts. FACE data are protected from disclosure under Oregon law (ORS 432.060).

Fatal StoriesCase 1: A 28-year-old self-employed tree cutter was killed after he was struck by a dislodged treetop and crushed between previously felled logs and underbrush. The victim had cut a small second growth tree, but it had hung up in another tree as it fell. He was attempting to fall another larger tree when the lodged tree broke free and fell on him Case 2: A 51-year-old logger was killed after he was struck by a falling snag that was caught in the tree he was cutting. He was working on a steep hillside, and his partner was 250-300 yards away. His partner searched for the victim after he had not heard the victim’s saw in 40 minutes. He found the victim dead with a tree on top of him. The victim had 25 years of logging experience.Case 3: A 48-year-old tree faller was killed after a snagged tree fell on top of him. The victim was working as an independent contractor cutting trees. He had just felled a large tree on a hillside, which uprooted a rotten tree on its way down. The rotten

tree hit the victim from behind and pinned him underneath. He was working alone at the time of the incident. The victim died at the scene from crushing injuries. Case 4: A 41-year-old logger was killed after he was struck in the back by a falling tree. The victim was working as part of a two person logging crew, cutting alder trees on private logging land. In twenty-minute intervals, each worker would turn off their saw to listen for their partner’s saw. The victim’s partner performed this safety check, but did not hear his partner’s saw. He went to check on the victim and found him face down with a 12-inch diameter and 34-foot long treetop across his back. Apparently, when the victim cut down his last tree, it collided with a nearby tree, which caused the top of that nearby tree to break apart and fall over onto the victim. The victim was conscious when his partner found him, but died on his way to the hospital. He died from head and chest trauma.

From 2010 to 2013, 10 Oregon workers in the Logging and Forestry industries died after being struck by trees. Hung limbs and snags in trees are a recurring contributing factor to occupational fatalities among tree fallers in Oregon.

• Scan for hung or snagged trees and limbs in your own and others’ cutting strips and communicate with each other about these hazards.

• When faced with a hazardous situation, stop work and seek assistance from a supervisor, a cutting partner, or a more experienced worker.

• Ifasnagorhang-upisidentified,afterseekingassistance,workwithyourpartnertoidentify the best method for alleviating the hung limb, tree or snag (OR-OSHA prohibits working under a lodged tree or the cutting of a tree where another tree is lodged in it).

• Employers should ensure that workers are trained and understand how to safely respond to snagged or hung limbs and other hazardous logging conditions.

Please observe the following safety tips:

Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation503-494-2281 www.ohsu.edu/croet/face

PLEASE POST

O R - F A C E

Snag Hazard Alert

• Never exceed load or extension limits of a lift or crane

• Use a spotter and communication system to prevent lifts over workers

• Never work directly under a load

FATAL HAZARD

• Use a cricket or table to keep supplies stacked level and flat • Never place ladder under unstable load • Consider other access equipment

FATAL HAZARD

Annual Reports - Theannualreportsfortheyears2009,2010and2011werepublishedin2013.These annual reports include analysis of the incidents with charts for industry, event, age, gender, time, month and more. These reports also include an abstract of each case.

Toolbox Talk Guides 1. Load of lumber shifts and falls on construction worker2. Roofingmateriallandsonworkerstandingonladder3. Homeconstructionworkerfallsdownelevatorshaft4. Novice drywall installer dies in 7-foot fall from scaffold

• Install guardrails, covers, or nets to block openings • Wear fall arrest system when required • Know location in case of emergency

FATAL HAZARD

• Lock wheels before mounting platform • Consider guardrails for added protection • Teach fall protection to young workers

FATAL HAZARD

Hazard Alert

Interactive fatality maps

8

Keywords: Trucking, Trailer [NAICS=492110] Oregon FACE ProgramPublication Date: March, 2013 OR 2010-06-1This report is public information and free to copy Page 1

OREGON FATALITY ASSESSMENTAND CONTROL EVALUATION

www.ohsu.edu/croet/face

Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology

Truck driver crushed between semi-trailer and loading dockSUMMARY

On February 8, 2010, a 62-year old truck driver was crushed and killed between a 53-foot semi-trailer and loading dock. After the delivery, he realized a tie-down strap was inside the warehouse. He pulled the truck a short distance away from the loading dock and returned to get the strap. Standing between the semi-trailer and loading dock, he banged on the roll-up door. The receiving company employee opened it, handed him the strap, noticed the semi-trailer moving, and yelled a warning, but the driver was pinned. The truck was pulled forward off of the victim by the warehouse employee. The ramp had a 2 degree slope. The wheels of the trailer were not chocked, and the warehouse employee reported that the victim left the truck running and in neutral with none of the brakes set. However, the Fire Department reported that “a trailer brake” was set, but not the tractor parking brake. The Fire Department also moved the truck, chocking the wheels to establish a safe work area. There were no mechanical problems found on the tractor ortrailer during the post incident inspection. The brake systems were working properly. Multiple factors may have allowed the truck/trailer movement. Based on interviews with eyewitnesses and with trucking experts, it is likely that the parking brakes were not set, allowing the truck and trailer to move and crush the victim. The slider axle of the trailer was also unlocked, which could have allowed the trailer to move on the rail over the axle as the truck rolled backwards.

RECOMMENDATIONS• Fully engage tractor and trailer parking brakes before leaving the cab.• Use wheel chocks to secure trailers and tractors against inadvertent movement,

especially when parked on a slope.

Fatality Investigation Report OR 2010-6-1

The dock involved in the incident where the driver was crushed (with “Kelly” dock plate). The white sign with red letters at right (shown enlarged) reads “chock your wheels.”

2013 Publications

Keywords: General Industry, Pressurized Machinery [NAICS=321113] Oregon FACE Program Publication Date: November 2013 OR 2011-16-1 This report is public information and free to copy Page 1

OREGON FATALITY ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL EVALUATION

www.ohsu.edu/croet/face

Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology

Millwright fatality involving a hydraulic accumulator SUMMARY A 61-year-old senior millwright with over 32 years of experience was killed, and 2 other millwrights were injured, while trying to disassemble a hydraulic accumulator to rebuild it. The victim had previously rebuilt at least one other accumulator salvaged from another part of the mill. He was viewed by everyone, including managers, as the expert in this task. Warning labels on the accumulator and in the rebuild kit instructions stated that all gas pressure must be released prior to disassembly. However, this step was skipped in the disassembly process and pressurized nitrogen gas remained in the accumulator. While the victim was slowly removing an 8-inch diameter cap from the end of the accumulator, the cap violently exploded off the cylinder and hit the victim in the abdomen and pelvis. The flying cap killed the victim. His co-workers were injured by the cap and related debris. RECOMMENDATIONS

¥ Employers should ensure employees follow manufacturer’s recommendations and confirm all pressure is released prior to performing any maintenance work on pressurized systems and components (in this case both hydraulic and gas).

¥ Install a “dump valve” in hydraulic systems to ensure hydraulic energy is released from the system when the equipment is shut down.

¥ Employers should ensure that all employees are trained to recognize the potential hazard of stored energy and how to eliminate or control it.

¥ Employees should be empowered to stop work and re-evaluate a situation whenever potentially hazardous or unusual methods are being used to accomplish a task.

¥ Manufacturers or employers should consider altering the placement of warning labels, or applying additional labels or seals, on the cap area of accumulators to ensure they remain visible while removing the caps.

Fatality Investigation Report OR 2011-16-1

Warning label on the side of the hydraulic accumulator warns that contents are under pressure and should be released by opening and removing the gas valve prior to disassembly.

!

Find published presentations, safety booklets, reports, and otherresourcesattheOR-FACEwebsite(http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/oregon-institute-occupational-health-sciences/outreach/or-face/;orQRcode.Newreportsare published regularly.

Investigations

Scientific Publication in Accident Analysis & Prevention“Elevated occupational transportation fatalities among older workers in Oregon:Anempiricalinvestigation”

OR 2010-6-1,Truck driver crushed between semi-trailer and loading dock. A truck driver pulled his truck a short distance away form the loading dock and returned to retrieve a tie-down strap. The trailer wheels were not chocked and the truck was in neutral. Whilehewasstandingbetweenthe semi-trailer and loading dock, the trailer rolled down the ramp slope and the driver was crushed and killed between a 53-foot semi trailer and loading dock.

OR 2011-16-l, Millwright fatality involving a hydraulic accumulator. A senior millwright was killed and2othermillwrightswereinjured while trying to disas-semble a hydraulic accumulator torebuildit.Pressurizednitro-gen gas was not released prior tothedisassembly.Whilethemillwright was slowly remov-ingan8-inchdiametercapfromthe end of the accumulator, the cap violently exploded off the cylinder and hit the victim in the abdomen and pelvis.

OR 2011-50-l, Timber faller killed while working under a hung tree-limb.A41-year-oldHispanicmalewas killed while working as a timber faller. The victim, working as a lone faller, was attempting to fell a tree that had an alder limb hungupinit.Witnessaccountsstate that they had observed the hung alder limb in the victim’s cutting strip about two hours prior to the incident. The victim was found underneath the alder limb and was pronounced dead at the scene.

9

In charts and abstracts, OR-FACE highlights risk factors and patterns in fatalities. For these analyses a few of the major two-digit classification codes are split into sub codes. For industry (NAICS), Agriculture/Fishing/Forestry/Hunting (code 11) is separated into sub codes: forestry/log-ging (code 113), fishing (code 114) and agriculture (codes 111-113). For occupa tion (SOC), Farming/Fishing/Forestry (code 45) is split into sub codes: agriculture (code 45-2000), fishing (code 45-3000), forestry (code 45-4010) and logging (code 45-4020). For event (OIICS), Transportation is divided into types: Motor Vehicles, Mobile Machinery, Air, and Water.

Charts

Relativetothepast9years,in2013incidentsbyrace/ethinicityandgendershowedslightchanges.Hispanicscontinuetobethesecondlargestethnicgrouptobeinvolvedinfatalcases.Fromyears

2003through2013,therewere64incidentsinvolvingHispanics.Forty-onepercentofthesefatalitieswere as a result of contact with objects and equipment.

Worker Fatalities by Race/Ethnicity

Hispanic 19% (8)

White (or no ethnicity specified)

79% (34)

Asian 2% (1) 2013

Other 0.4%

Unknown 0.1%

Black 0.9%

Asian 1.0% American

Indian 1.5%

Hispanic 9.5%

2003-2013

White (or no ethnicity specified)

86.5%

Worker Fatalities by Gender

Male 88% (38)

Female 12% (5)

2013

Female 7.4%

Male 92.6%

2003-2013 2003-2013 2003-2013

Delayed Deaths

EvENT CAUSEOFDEATH INTERVAL FACEID

Fall Blunt force head trauma with basilar skull fracture 11days OR2013-02-1

Fall Blunt force head and abdominal trauma 14days OR2013-25-1Transportation (motor vehicle) Complications of multiple blunt trauma 296days OR2013-30-1

Unknown Sepsisfromdecubitusulcerduetoparaplegia 25years OR2013-41-1

Worker Fatalities with Delayed Death from Date of Injury (over 2 days), 2013

TherewerefourOR-FACEcaseswheredeathoccurredthreeormoredaysaftertheincident.Twoofthesedelayeddeathcaseswerefrominjuriessustainedfromfalls.Oneofthesecasesoccurred25

yearsafterawork-relatedinjury.Becauseofthedifficultyinobtaininginformationonthiscasewewereunable to confirm the event that resulted in the incident.

Charts

Occupational Fatalities in Oregon by AgeCompared to Oregon Age Distribution of Civilian Labor Force, 2013

Sourceoflaborforce:BLS http://www.BLS.gov/Lau/taBLe14fuLL13.pdf p. 61-2. RetRieved: June 2015. Sourceoffatalitycounts:OR-FACE

The55andolderagegroupaccountedfor30%ofallfatalitiesin2013.From2003through2013,theannualpercentageoffatalitiesforthisagegrouprangedfrom18%toahighof47%in2011.Since

2011the65+agegroupwasapproximately5%oftheOregoncivilianlaborforcealthoughitaccountedfor17-19%ofOR-FACEcases.

2

1

9 9 9

5

8

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

<20 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Series1

Series2 Number of occupational fatalities

Percent of Oregon civilian labor force #

10

11

Charts

Worker Fatal Incidents and Total Fatalities by Day of Week, 2013

Worker Fatal Incidents and Total Fatalities by Time of Incident, 2013

3

7

5

11

6 6

5

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

0

1 1

4

6 6

9

4

6

1

2

1

2

1:00-2:59 AM

3:00-4:59

5:00-6:59

7:00-8:59

9:00-10:59

11:00-12:59 PM

1:00-2:59

3:00-4:59

5:00-6:59

7:00-8:59

9:00-10:59

11:00-12:59 AM

UNK

57

106 111

102

113 110

77

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

2003-2013

19 16

43

70

95 89

99

89

42

17 20

10

68

1:00-2:59 am 3:00-4:59 5:00-6:59 7:00-8:59 9:00-10:59 11:00-12:59 1:00-2:59 3:00-4:59 5:00-6:59 7:00-8:59 9:00-10:59 11:00-12:59 Unknown

2003-2013

12

Charts

Worker Fatalities in Oregon by Occupation and Event, 2013

Worker Fatal Incidents and Total Fatalities by Month and Season, 2013

3

2 2

5

4

5

7

4

3

6

2

January February March April June July August September October November December

11

13 13

6

spring summer fall winter

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Life/Physical/SocialScience

Office/Admin Support

Personal Care/Services

Production

Protective Services

Building/GroundsMaintenance

Logging

Farm/Ranch

Install/Maintain/Repair

Construction

Transportation

OCCUPATION

EVENT contact exposure falltransportation (air) transportation (mobile machinery) transportation (motor vehicle)transportation (water) unknown violence

13

Charts

Worker Fatalities by Type of Event, 2013

Worker Fatalities in Oregon by Industry, 2013

1

1

1

2

3

5

5

5

9

11

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Unknown

Arts/Entertainment/Rec

Mining

Public Administration

Manufacturing

Admin/Support/Waste/Remed.

Agriculture

Forestry/Logging

Construction

Transportation

22

22

26

35

55

42

70

85

81

107

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Retail trade

Other Services

Fishing

Public Administration

Manufacturing

Admin/Support/Waste/Remed.

Agriculture

Forestry/Logging

Construction

Transportation

2003-2013

2013

1

1

1

3

5

5

6

10

11

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Unknown

Transportation (Water)

Transportation (Air)

Violence

Transportation (Mobile Machinery)

Exposure

Fall

Contact

Transportation (Motor Vehicle)

1

1

8

16

30

37

90

42

49

71

147

184

0 40 80 120 160 200

Transportation (Rail)

Unknown

Overexertion

Fire/Explosion



Violence

Transportation (Mobile Machinery)

Exposure

Fall

Contact


2003-2013 2003-2013

2003-2013

14

Oregon Counties

Oregon Population, Employed Labor Force, and Fatalities by County, 2013

Sources:PortlandStateUniversityPopulationResearchCenterandBLSLocalAreaUnemploymentsStatistics.Retrieved:August2015.

Total

population Employed labor force

Worker fatalities

Total population

Employed labor force

Worker fatalities

OREGON 3,919,020 1,761,021 43* BAKER 16,280 6145 0 LAKE 7,940 3074 1 BENTON 87,725 41372 0 LANE 356,125 154185 5 CLACKAMAS 386,080 183014 5 LINCOLN 46,560 18799 0 CLATSOP 37,270 16477 0 LINN 118,665 48375 0 COLUMBIA 49,850 20158 0 MALHEUR 31,440 11289 0 COOS 62,860 23649 1 MARION 322,880 134364 3 CROOK 20,690 7833 1 MORROW 11,425 5107 1 CURRY 22,300 7726 1 MULTNOMAH 756,530 383930 7 DESCHUTES 162,525 70810 2 POLK 77,065 31902 1 DOUGLAS 108,850 39479 1 SHERMAN 1,780 785 0 GILLIAM 1,945 769 1 TILLAMOOK 25,375 10014 0 GRANT 7,435 2795 0 UMATILLA 77,895 32121 2 HARNEY 7,260 2941 0 UNION 26,325 10749 1 HOOD RIVER 23,295 12865 1 WALLOWA 7,045 2864 0 JACKSON 206,310 86630 1 WASCO 25,810 12662 0 JEFFERSON 22,040 8256 0 WASHINGTON 550,990 269157 2 JOSEPHINE 82,815 28648 3 WHEELER 1,430 686 0 KLAMATH 66,810 25751 1 YAMHILL 101,400 45643 1 *For a delayed death case the county where the incident occurred was unknown.

2003-2013Fatality rate per 100,000 workers

1to5

5.1to10

10.1to20

20.1+Josephine

Coos

Curry

Lincoln

Clatsop

Tillamook Yamhill

Benton

Polk Marion

Washington

Douglas

Jackson

Columbia

Linn

Lane

Multnomah

Klamath

Clackamas

Hood River

Wasco

Deschutes

Jefferson

Crook

Sherman

Gilliam

Wheeler

Harney Lake

Morrow

Umatilla

Grant Baker

Union

Malheur

Wallowa

15

Worker Fatalities

INFORMATIONKEY

Description

IndustryOccupation

DateofIncidentCountyofIncident

OR-FACENumber

Abstracts of fatal occupational incidents in Oregon

by type of event

2013Transportation – Contact –Falls - Violence

Exposure – Unknown

Struck trees off the high-way

TransportationTransportation

January10Douglas

OR-2013-04-1

A71year-oldtruckdriversustainedsignificantbluntforceinjuriestothe head and neck causing his death when his truck went off the road andhitastandoflargetrees.Hissemi-truckwastowingafueltrailerona northbound lane of an interstate highway with a slight curve to the right. The truck left the lane of travel continued across the median to the southbound lanes and onto the west shoulder area hitting a stand of trees. The roadway had an inch of snow, but there was no evidence of evasivemaneuvers.Itisnotknownwhythetruckleftthelaneoftravel.Themedical examiner report stated that the driver may have experienced a medical emergency which caused him to lose control of the vehicle.


A51year-oldloggingtruckdriverwaskilledwhenhewasejectedfromthe cab as the truck rolled down an embankment. The driver detected a problem with his vehicle motor and was driving his unloaded truck to a shopforevaluation.Whiletravelingwestboundonahighwaythatwasslightly uphill with a long sweeping left turn his truck tires left the roadway at the beginning of the turn and continued half on the pavement and half off the pavement. The truck then tipped and rolled over once down an embankment coming to rest against trees. The driver was not wearing a safety belt and was ejected. The tire marks from the accident indicated that thedriverneverattemptedtocomebackontheroadway.Investigatorsbelieved that speed may have been a factor.

Ejected from cab


July26Umatilla

OR-2013-18-1

Struck trees off the highway


June6Lane

OR-2013-12-1

A 57 year-old truck driver died from a chest injury he sustained in a motor vehiclecollisionafterlosingcontrolofhisvehicleinaturn.Histruckwaspulling a trailer of particle board, and traveling westbound on a highway when he failed to negotiate a right curve. The truck and trailer crossed the east bound lane, struck a guardrail and continued off the south side of the highway where several trees were struck before coming to rest off the highway.Investigatorsnotedthathedidnothavehissafetybelton.

16

Worker Fatalities – Transportation

A19year-oldwatertender(tanker)truckdriverdiedatafirefightingsitewhen his truck slid off the road and hit an embankment and rolled over. The driver had previously received ride-along training sessions and was evaluated by an experienced driver. This was his first day of driving the tankertruckonthisfire.Hewasfinishingthenightshiftandwasreturningtothefirecamp.Thetruckgainedspeedasitwasgoingdownhill.Headinginto a right turn the vehicle slid, hit an embankment on the left side of the roadandthenrolledover.Post-collisionassessmentofthetruckindicatedinadequate tread on the front tires, the right side brake on the front drive axle was out of adjustment, and the outside edge of the tire tread on the left front tire was damaged.

Crushed in cab

ConstructionTransportation

July8Multnomah

OR-2013-15-1

A50year-oldconstructionworkersufferedfatalinjurieswhenhelostcontrolofhistruckgoingdownasteephillandranofftheroad.Hewasworkingata drilling site and was hauling mud from the work site down a steep hill. A large vacuum pump unit was used to vacuum mud into a holding tank. The tank mounted on the chassis of his three-axle truck, was nearly full of mud when the worker drove off the site. Evidence showed that the worker tried to control the truck but couldn’t negotiate a turn and went through a guardrail. The vehicle ran into an embankment crushing the worker between the dashboard and the back of the cab. Based on witness statements and physical evidence including skid marks, the investigator believed that the operator must have progressed down the steep grade at a rate that was too fast for the brakes to hold the vehicle’s speed. The brakes got too hot and began to fade requiring additional pressure on the brake pedal to achieve thesamestoppingpower.Heavypressureonthebrakepedalcausedoccasional locking of the wheels leaving skid marks and created a “runaway vehicle” condition.

A60year-oldconstructioncrewleaderwasstruckandkilledbyahighwayarrow board sign hitched to a pick-up truck after it was hit by a semi-truck. The crew leader was removing lane closure signs from the previous night’s workandgettingtrafficcontroldevicesstagedforthefollowingnight’swork.Sheparkedherpickuponthesideoftheroadbehindthefoglinewithlightsflashingandthearrowboardsignconnectedtothetowhitch.Shewasremoving a sign from behind the guardrail when the arrow board and pick-upwasstruckbyasemi-truck/trailer.Thecollisioncausedthearrowboardtoswing over the guardrail and strike the worker.

Struck by object

ConstructionConstruction

August14Josephine

OR-2013-22-1

Aself-employed69year-oldsemi-truckdriversufferedfatalchestandabdominal injuries when truck tires ran over him. The driver had just completedrepairsonthetruck.Hereachedup,turnedontheengine,butit was still in gear and began moving. The driver was then seen running alongside the vehicle on the driver side attempting to either pull himself uportryingtoturnthekeyoff.Hemayhavepulledonthesteeringwheelto pull himself up but directed the truck to the left causing it to crash into another trailer. The driver was found on the ground with abrasions and marks to the abdomen area that appeared to have been caused by a tire.

Crushed by rolling vehicle


August8Marion

OR-2013-23-1

Truck rollover

Forestry/loggingTransportation

August6Josephine

OR-2013-21-1

17


Overturned vehicle

TransportationOffice/AdminSupport

April14,2012Jackson

OR-2013-30-1

A70year-oldwhohadbeenamailcarrierdiedofcomplicationsfrominjuriessustained in a work vehicle accident in the spring of the previous year. Theincidentoccurredasshewasnegotiatingadownhillcurve.Shehadinadvertently hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. The vehicle slid and spun into the embankment, then overturned both end-over-end and sideways coming to rest on its top, facing the opposite direction in a ditch. Roadconditionsweredryandtheinvestigatornotedthatspeedcontributedto her losing control of the vehicle.

An80year-oldtruckdriversufferedbluntforceheadtraumawhenhelostcontrol of his vehicle which rolled over and crushed him in the vehicle cab. The truck was pulling two trailers loaded with recycled material, and was traveling westbound on a straight, level highway. A witness reported that the back trailer was on the westbound shoulder moving perpendicular to the first trailer subsequently causing the vehicle to overturn. The truck and the first trailer came to rest on their tops on the westbound shoulder. The back trailer then landed on top of the first trailer.

Vehicle rollover


August19Umatilla

OR-2013-24-1

A69year-olddriverwhoshuttledandtransportedmotorvehiclessustainedafatalheadinjurywhenherpassengervehiclerolledover.Shewastravelingwestbound on a highway and was attempting to pass a log truck on a curve. Thelogtruckoverturnedandlogsrolledoff.Hervehiclerolledover.Itdidnotappearthathervehiclewasstruckbythelogsorthelogtruck.Shewastrapped inside her vehicle until removed by paramedics and pronounced dead at the scene.

Crushed in rollover


October13Deschutes

OR-2013-29-1

Crushed by rolling vehicle


December18Lane

OR-2013-38-1

A40year-oldtowingcompanyworkerwaskilledwhenavehiclerolledoff the towing dolly pinning him underneath. The worker and two other employees were dispatched to transport two vehicles. One vehicle was to be transported on a towing dolly pulled by a pick-up truck. The worker drove the vehicle onto the dolly, elevating the front of the vehicle, and placed a blockbehindtherightfronttiretosecureit.Inordertopreventdamagetothe transmission, the driveline of the vehicle to be towed had to be removed. Hethencrawledunderthevehicleandbeganremovingthefourboltssecuring the driveline. To reach the last bolt he had to move the vehicle backwards. Once the vehicle was moved, he crawled back underneath toremovethelastboltbutdidnotreplacetheblock.Whentheboltwasremoved the vehicle rolled off the dolly and onto the worker.

Motor vehicle accident


August 9Multnomah

OR-2013-40-1

A52year-oldcouriersufferedfatalchesttraumawithribfracturesinafreeway motor vehicle accident. The courier was on his last run of the day andwasonthesouthboundwesternmostlaneofafreeway.Hissmallpassenger vehicle was hit from behind by a speeding pick-up truck forcing hiscartocollidewiththevehicleinfront.Hedidhavelapandshoulderrestraints in place and the steering wheel air bag had deployed.

18


Pinned beneath ATV quad

AgricultureFarm/Ranch

December23Morrow

OR-2013-37-1

A31year-oldrancherwaskilledwhilemendingfencesonafamilyranchwhen his four-wheeled ATv overturned and crushed him. The rancher left to mendfencesmid-morning.Whenhedidn’treturnbylateafternoon,afamilymemberwentsearchingforhim.Hewasfoundthateveninginaravinepinned under his four-wheeled ATv. Tracks at the scene showed the four-wheelerneartheedgeandwentoffa45degreebanksidewaysandfellfivefeet rolling ¾ of a turn and landed on the head, neck and upper torso of the rancher.Toxicologyreportconfirmed0.160g/dLofalcoholintherancher’sblood.

Transportation (Mobile machinery)

Pinned beneath ATV quad

AgricultureFarm/ranch

April22Klamath

OR-2013-07-1

A 53 year-old rancher died from blunt head trauma and compressive as-phyxiation when his all-terrain-vehicle went over backward and pinned him beneath it. The rancher was believed to be repairing fences. The racks of theATVhadapproximately90poundsoftoolsandsuppliesforfencerepair.At the time of the incident, he was driving the four-wheel ATv up a dirt trail along a fence line. The trail was sloped and narrow with elevated sagebrush roots.

A71year-oldfarmersufferedfatalcrushinginjurieswhenatractor’sreartirerolled on top of him. The farmer was hooking up a battery to get the tractor started and didn’t notice that it was in gear. As the battery engaged, the tractor lunged forward trapping him underneath the rear tire.

Crushed by rolling tractor


January30Yamhill

OR-2013-13-1

Crushed by tractor rollover


September4HoodRiver

OR-2013-26-1

A53year-oldHispanicorchardworkerdiedwhenthetractorhewasoperating left a roadway, rolled down a steep ravine, and crushed him. The worker had been trained by the employer to operate the tractor during the previous fruit harvest. Based on his employer’s observations during the first season, he was asked to continue operating the tractor during the following fruitharvest.Investigationrevealedthattherolloverprotectionstructure(ROPS)wasnotinpositionandthattheseatbeltdidnotappeartobeworn.Toxicological examination confirmed the presence of methamphetamine and amphetamine.

19


Pinned under raft

PublicAdministrationLife/physical/socialsci-ence

April15Coos

OR-2013-06-1

A25year-oldfemalewaterbiologistdrownedwhenherpontoonboatflipped and the strap of her life jacket became entangled on the oarlock, pin-ningherunderwater.Herco-worker,inasecondboat,observedthatshehaddifficultymaneuveringherraftinitially.Aftersomecoachingsheappearedto get better. They came upon some rapids and a willow tree that extended overandacrossthechannel.Shelostcontrolofherboat,wassweptbroad-side into the swiftly running channel, and then hit the tree. This flipped her boat and she was pinned under the water unable to free herself.


A 53 year-old pilot died when his helicopter crashed while transporting logs. The pilot was on his first run following a break during which the helicopter hadbeenrefueledandinspected.Hewasmovinglogsfromtheloggingsitetoalocationnexttotheloggingroad.Witnessesreportedthatthepilotdropped the logs just before the crash, indicating it was possible that the pilot had detected a serious problem and was attempting corrective action.

Helicopter crash


September16Marion

OR-2013-28-1


20

Contact with rotating machinery

OtherServicesBuilding/groundsmain-tenance

April26Clackamas

OR-2013-08-1

A41year-oldHispanicsanitationworkerwaskilledwhenheeitherfellorwas pulled into an industrial meat blender. The worker was a member of a contractcleaningcrewforameatprocessingfacility.Hewasonaplatformwashing the blender from above while the the unguarded rotating blades were in operation. A common work practice described by his co-workers was to wrap the long hose around the torso and legs while washing equipment. There were no witnesses to the event. The investigator surmised that a segment of the hose may have fallen into the blender that became entangled in the rotating blades, pulling the worker in, or that the worker slipped on the slippery platform and fell into the blender.

Struck by falling tree

Forestry/loggingLogging

April30Lake

OR-2013-09-1

A38year-oldHispanicloggerwasstruckbyafallingtreeanddiedofcervicalspinefracture/spinalcordinjury.Theloggerwasbuckingorcuttingtreesthat were already down. A faller nearby signaled that he was going to cut and the logger responded to go ahead. The logger continued to work intheareaanddidnotmoveintotheclear.Investigationrevealedthatthe supervisor was not enforcing a policy for maintaining clear distance (twice the height of the trees being felled) between falling trees and personnel in the area. Toxicological examination confirmed the presence of methamphetamine.

A17year-oldmechanicwaskilledwhenasemi-trucklurchedforwardcrushing him under the right front wheel. The mechanic was on the ground adjustingorcheckingthebrakeofthesemi-truck.Hisco-workergotintothecab of the truck and was attempting to start the vehicle while in gear, when it lurched forward and crushed the victim.

Worker Fatalities – Contact

Contact with objects and equipment

Crushed by heavy machinery (yarder)


March2Lane

OR-2013-03-1

A31year-oldHispanicloggersufferedfatalpelvicandabdominalinjuriesafter he was crushed by a yarder that collapsed when a guyline broke. The logger was assigned to buck logs and maintain the landing area. The loader operator had just dropped logs in the cleanup area and signaled the logger to trim them. The logger was walking past the yarder with his chainsaw when the guyline broke at the sleeve shackle near the anchor stump. The yarder fell forward and landed on the logger. Evidence suggests that the guylines were not placed according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Crushed by vehicle

TransportationInstall/maintain/repair

June5Multnomah

OR-2013-10-1

21

Worker Fatalities – Contact



August1Deschutes

OR-2013-20-1

A21year-oldworkerdiedwhenhewasstruckintheheadbya700-poundtop-hingedsteeldoorofa20-yardwastecontainer.Theworkerandanotheremployee were assigned to hook plastic liner sheets in the container. To enter the container, the steel door was opened by using a forklift and was propped opened by only one metal door stand (bar with indentation for door) held in place by the weight of the door. The liners were attached inside the container on hooks at the end, center and at the door. As the worker stepped backward out of the container, he bumped into the door stand, knocking the stand away, and the door swung down striking the worker’s head.

Crushed by iron frame

ManufacturingInstall/Maintain/Repair

July24Crook

OR-2013-17-1

A27year-oldworkerwascrushedanddiedoftraumaticasphyxiationfrom blunt chest trauma when an iron frame he was dismantling slid off a forklift, pinned his leg and then rolled over on top of him. The worker was dismantling and salvaging parts from a rectangular iron frame (called a truss presshead)thatweighedapproximately1500pounds.Heusedaforklifttolift the iron frame on one edge to provide better access to a motor attached totheframe.Hedidnotsecuretheframeontotheforks.Itisbelievedthatas he kneeled alongside the frame on the side opposite the forklift and attempted to pull the motor, the frame dropped on his back preventing him frommovingorbreathing.Hediedatthescene.

Crushed by steel sheet

ManufacturingProduction

July12Clackamas

OR-2013-16-1

A 55 year-old manufacturing employee was struck and killed when a steel sheet fell out of the C-clamp crushing him on the concrete floor. The worker wasintheprocessofplacingasheetofsteelintoa750tonpressbrakeusinga2-tonhoist.Ashewasliftingthe~1600poundsheet,heplacedhimselfunderneath the suspended load to push the bottom edge into the press brake jaws. The sheet slipped out of the C-clamp and fell on the worker’s back as he was trying to escape, crushing him on the concrete floor.

A58year-oldtimbercutterwaskilledwhenhewasstruckbyaburningtreesnag. Two cutters were dispatched to cut a burning snag after a lightning strikeinanationalforest.TheyweremetbyForestServicepersonnelandescorted to the area. The fire crew had made some cuts on the tree the night before, but the fire was too active and they left the tree standing. The cutters assessed and discussed where to fall the tree. After the area was clear of personnel, one of the cutters looked up and saw that a large section of the tree had burned through and snapped. The limbs of the falling snag hit and injured him. The other cutter was struck and crushed by the butt of the snag thatbegantoburnasithittheground.Hediedofbluntforcetraumatothe head and chest. The injured cutter was taken by life flight to a hospital, treated for a shoulder injury.

Struck by container door

Admin/support/wasteremediationInstall/maintain/repair

November4Gilliam

OR-2013-36-1



March27Lane

OR-2013-14-1

A45year-oldloggerdiedofbluntforcechesttraumawhenhewasstruckbya tree. The logger was felling timber on a steep hillside. After he radioed for help, his co-workers found him next to a tree facing down, unable to talk and haddifficultybreathing.Heexpiredatthescene.Basedonthetreesthathadbeencutandtheirlocation,itwasspeculatedthathewasfelling2-3treesatthe same time and an additional tree that was behind him might have been entangled and came down and struck him from behind.

22

A33year-oldconstructionworkerfelloffaroofapproximately15feetfromthegroundanddied11dayslaterfrommultipleinjuriessustainedinthefall.Hiscompanywascontractedtoreplaceroofshinglesonaresidentialfacility. On the day of the incident, it was planned to re-install anchors for fall protection and continue removing the old shingles on another section of the house. The worker was observed climbing the extension ladder with nails and an anchor. Another worker inside the garage heard the impact on the garage roof and then onto the sidewalk. The homeowner and other workers indicated that there was frost in the yard and roof of adjacent homes at the time of the incident. The deceased may have slipped, falling onto the garage roof and then onto the concrete sidewalk.

Fall from elevation


February2Multnomah

OR-2013-02-1

Worker Fatalities – Falls

Fall from mobile machinery


April15Polk

OR-2013-05-1

A41year-oldHispanicvineyardworkersustainedafatalheadinjurywhenhefell from a trailer and struck his head on the pavement. A tractor was pulling a trailer-mounted chemical tank while the worker stood on a make-shift wooden platform attached to the trailer. The platforms were added on each side of the trailer for employees to stand on and ride to and from the field. The worker’s baseball cap blew off and the tractor operator stopped so that theworkercouldretrievehiscap.Itisnotknownwhethertheworkerfellwhile attempting to step back on the platform while the trailer was moving or whether he fell once on the platform and the trailer started moving. The vineyard worker died at the scene.

Fall from articulating boom lift


August 9Lane

OR-2013-25-1

A31year-oldworkersufferedhead/abdominalinjuriesafterbeingejected30feetoutofaboomliftanddiedtwoweekslater.Theworkerwasrepairingcommunication equipment on top of a light pole. The repair was complete and the lift was lowered to allow the co-worker to exit the lift bucket and conduct tests on the ground. The worker re-entered the lift bucket to ascendandtakephotographsofthecompletedwork.Heraisedtheboomlift up to its maximum angle with the counterweight downhill on a slope. Thiscausedthelifttotipoverejectingtheworkerfromthebucket.Hehadafull body harness on but it was not connected to the anchorage point on the lift.

Fall from scaffold

Construction Construction

June6Benton

OR-2013-11-1

A25year-oldconstructionworkerdiedfromafalloffascaffold.Theworkerwasbuildingascaffoldinbetweengirdersunderatrafficbridge.Hewascreatingthescaffoldwith4X4timberssetin-betweenthegirdersbelowthebridgewith1-footspacingthensetting5/8inchthickplywoodontopofthe4X4timbersforaworking/walkingsurface.Hewasnotwearinghisfallprotection and when he stepped off the leading edge of the scaffold he fell 23feettotherocksbelow.Hediedinthehospital24hourslaterfrombluntforce head trauma he sustained in the fall.

Falls

23

Worker Fatalities – Falls/Violence

Violence

Fell from equipment

MiningInstall/Maintain/Repair

June8Josephine

OR-2013-42-1

Fell down stairs

Admin/Support/WasteRemediationProtectiveServices

November22Washington

OR-2013-31-1

A 79 year-old owner and operator of a granite pit fell off a large front-end loaderanddiedofcardiacarrestfromtrauma.Hewasbelievedtoberepairing or conducting maintenance work while standing on the front-end loader when he fell approximately eight feet from the loader to the ground. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was sudden cardiac arrhythmia due to stress of genital and pelvic injuries he suffered from the fall.

A74year-oldsecurityguarddiedofabluntforceheadinjurywhenhefelldownofficestairs.Theguardhadcalleddispatchtonotifythemhewasgoing off duty. Two hours later his spouse called the company to inquire about her husband’s whereabouts who had not arrived home as expected. Hewasfoundunresponsiveatthebaseofthestairsfacedownontheconcrete floor. Blood was found on the floor and the handrail at the top of the stairwell was loose. videotape confirmed that no one entered or left the officefromthetimetheguardcalleddispatchuntilthevictimwasfound.

Collapsed truss fall


September6Clackamas

OR-2013-27-1

A 33 year-old carpenter foreman sustained fatal blunt force head trauma when he fell and was struck by a truss as it collapsed during installation on a residential building. Throughout the installation and prior to the collapse workers expressed to the foreman that bracing was inadequate. Lateral braces were installed but not ground or diagonal bracing as directed in the diagram provided by the manufacturer upon delivery of the trusses.

Homicide

PublicAdministrationProtectiveServices

November4Clackamas

OR-2013-32-1

A41year-oldreservepoliceofficerwasshotwhilerespondingtoahousefireanddiedthefollowingday.Thereserveofficerandhispartnerheardacallaboutahousefire.Whileontheirwaytorespondthedispatchernotifiedtheofficersthattherewasareportofamanwithahandgunatthelocation.Atthescene,thepartnerdroppedoffthereserveofficeratoneendoftheblockwherethefirewasreported.Inhisvehicle,thepartnerproceededtowhereanunidentifiedmalewasbeinginterviewedbyanotherofficerwhoarrivedonthescene.Thereserveofficersawhispartnerandotherofficerwiththeunidentified male and began walking towards them. At some point, the reserveofficerrealizedthattheindividualbeinginterviewedbytheothertwoofficerswasnotthesuspect.Hethenheadedbacktothewherehewasdropped off. On his way, he encountered the resident of the burning house withagun.Aneighborreportedthathesawthereserveofficerwithhisgun at his side yelling at the individual to drop his weapon just before the gunshothittingthereserveofficerinthehead.

24

A50year-oldworkerdiedfromexposuretomethylenechloridewhilestrippingasecondlayerofbathtubcoating.Hewasworkingaloneinasmall windowless bathroom with door closed. Other than the ceiling fan there was no additional ventilation. Three hours after he began the work he was found hunched over the side of the bathtub, with his head submerged inthewater.Itisspeculatedthattheasphyxiatingeffectsofthemethylenechloride may have altered his judgment. At some point he decided to turnthewateroninthetub,possiblytosplashisface.Heneverregainedconsciousness and died two days later. Cause of death was cerebral anoxia from near drowning and inhalation of methylene chloride. On the worker’s truck a portable ventilation fan and supplied air respirator were found but not used.

Animal attack

OtherServicesPersonalCare/Services

November 9Washington

OR-2013-33-1

A36year-oldanimalcaretakerdiedwhenshewasmauledbyacougar.Although the company policy required two qualified staff members to work together during the lockout of dangerous animals, she was working alone. Investigationreportrevealedthatinadequatestaffingcausedfrequentviolations to this rule. The caretaker was attempting to enter and clean one of the cougar enclosures when the incident occurred. The company lockout procedure was ineffective and during the process subjected caretakers to contact with cougars. This procedure and the poor design of the enclosures made cleaning a time consuming task, which compelled the keepers to violate the lockout policy.

Homicide

ManufacturingUnknown

November13Marion

OR-2013-43-1

A46year-oldwarehousesupervisorwasfounddeadfromagunshotwoundin a company parking lot. Employees arriving for work early one morning foundthevictim,andnotifiedthepolice.Officersarrivedonsiteandbegantheir homicide investigation.

Chemical exposure

ConstructionInstall/Maintain/Repair

January26Multnomah

OR-2013-01-1

Worker Fatalities – Violence/Exposure

Electrocution


July30Curry

OR-2013-19-1

A 35 year-old journeyman lineman was electrocuted when he made contact with high-voltage electricity. The lineman climbed up onto a metal structure thatsupportedisolationswitchesfora115KVtransmissionline.Thepowerwas shut off to the transmission line and it was tested prior to hooking up groundtotheline.Thelinemanassumedhewasinanequipotentialzoneand was rigging straps so that the structure could be moved by a crane to anewfoundationafewfeetaway.Intheworkset-uptherewasnogroundbetween the driven ground rod and the grounding grid for the metal structure creating a difference in potential between the ground on the power line and frame being moved. The driven ground was not checked for voltage after being hooked to the power line. The test would have shown electrical power on the driven ground rod. The lineman was electrocuted whenhemadecontactwiththemetalframeworkandthemiddlehorizontalswitch which was still connected to the line.

Exposure to Harmful Substance or Environment

25

Worker Fatalities – Exposure

A27year-oldapprenticeelectricianwaselectrocutedwhenhewasconnecting electrical wires in a junction box in a bathroom ceiling space.Duringabuildingbathroomremodel,theelectricalsubcontractordisconnected lighting circuits at junction boxes mounted in the ceiling space in the hallway area outside of the bathroom. Tags were not attached at all pointswherecircuitscouldbeenergized.Emergencyandgenerallightingfixtures and wiring were installed and wires were run to adjacent junction boxes:oneforgenerallightingandtheotherforemergencylighting.Theapprentice electrician located the circuit breaker for the emergency lighting onadifferentfloor,shutoffandlockedoutthecircuitbreaker.Hethenreconnected wires to one of the existing junction boxes in the hallway. A witness observed him finishing up connections in general lighting rather than the emergency lighting junction box in the restroom. The apprentice mentioned to the witness that he had just been shocked. The witness heard the apprentice electrician fall and then found him collapsed on the restroom floor.Itappearedthattheapprenticeelectricianreconnectedthewrongwiresinthehallwayjunctionboxandenergizedthegenerallightingcircuit.

Electrocution


November 5Multnomah

OR-2013-34-1

Electrocution

Admin/support/waste/remediationBuilding/groundsmaintenance

October30Multnomah

OR-2013-35-1

Heat stroke

Admin/support/waste/remediationBuildings/groundsmaintenance

November11Clackamas

OR-2013-39-1

A38year-oldcertifiedarboristsufferedheatstrokewhilehewasclimbinga150footfirtreein+95°Ftemperatureanddiedonthewaytotheemergencyroom. The arborist had climbed three smaller trees the morning of the incident. On the way to the afternoon job, the crew stopped for lunch in an air-conditioned restaurant. At the site the arborist climbed a tall tree to attachriggingforatree-fallingjob.Whenthearboristreachedthefirstsetofbranches,about60feetofftheground,hebeganbehavingerraticallyandwasnotfollowingsoundclimbingprocedures.Hefellbackwardbutwascaughtbyhisfallrestraintharnessandappearedtobehavingaseizure.A fellow arborist climbed to his location and lowered him to the ground. Electrolyte drinks were available at the site and the crew had been trained onheatstressprevention.EmergencypersonneladministeredCPRbutnopulse was re-established.

A 39 year old self-employed landscaper was electrocuted when his metal saw came into contact with a high-voltage power line. The landscaper washiredtotrimhedgesthatwereapproximately20feethigh.Heuseda14-footaluminumorchardladderagainstthethickhedgestoaccessthetop. Evidence suggests that when the metal blade of his gas powered saw contactedthe7200voltpowerlinehefellofftheladdertothegroundbelow.Hisemployeeglancedtowardsthelocationofthelandscaperandsawthepowertoolengulfedinflames.Hethenfoundthelandscaperontheground with his right arm in contact with the metal ladder. The landscaper died at the scene.

26

Unknown

Worker fatalities - Unknown

Complications from paraplegia

UnknownConstruction

October1988Unknown

OR-2013-41-1

A60-yearoldworkerdiedfromcomplicationsofyearsofparaplegiafollowing an industrial accident. The medical examiner report and the death certificate indicated that the worker’s condition was as a result of a traumatic workinjurythatoccurredapproximately25yearspriortohisdeath.TheworkerdiedinLincolnCounty.However,documentsrelatedtohisinjuryandwhereitoccurredcouldnotbefound.Hisoccupationwasrecordedasironworker.

2727

Event Definitions

The event or exposure describes the manner in which the injury or illness was produced or inflicted by the source of injury or illness.

CONTACT WITH OBJECTS AND EQUIPMENTCodes apply to injuries produced by contact between the injured person and the source of injury except when contact was due to falls, transportation accidents, fires, explosions, assaults, or violent acts. Contact may be denoted by a statement that the injured person struck or was struck by an object, was caught in an object, rubbed against an object, or by words such as “hit by,” or “hit,” “bumped into,” “crushed by,” or “banged.”

FALLSFalls are events in which the injury was produced by impact between the injured person and the source of injury when the motion producing contact was generated by gravity.

BODILY REACTION AND EXERTIONCodes apply to cases, usually non-impact, in which injury or illness resulted from free bodily motion, from excessive physical effort, from repetition of a bodily motion, from the assumption of an unnatural position, or from remaining in the same position over a period of time.

EXPOSURE TO HARMFUL SUBSTANCES OR ENVIRONMENTSCodes apply to cases in which the injury or illness resulted from contact with, or exposure to, a condition or substance in the environment. Cases of burns, heat stress, smoke inhalation, or oxygen deficiency resulting from an uncontrolled or unintentional fire are generally coded Fire and Explosions, unless a transportation incident or assault or violent act was involved.

TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTSThis code covers events involving transportation vehicles, powered industrial vehicles, or powered mobile industrial equipment in which at least one vehicle (or mobile equipment) is in normal operationandtheinjury/illnesswasduetocollisionorothertypeoftrafficaccident,lossofcontrol,or a sudden stop, start, or jolting of a vehicle regardless of the location where the event occurred. Referencesto“vehicles”inshouldbeinterpretedtoincludepoweredindustrialvehiclesandpowered mobile industrial equipment unless otherwise noted. Cases classified in this code include pedestrians, roadway workers, or other non-passengers struck by vehicles, powered industrial equipment on or off the roadway (including indoor locations) when the accident meets these criteria (a)atleastonevehiclewasinregularoperation,and(b)theimpactwascausedbyatrafficaccidentorforward/backwardtravelofthevehicle.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONSCodesapplytocasesinwhichtheinjuryorillnessresultedfromanexplosionorfire.Includedarecases in which the person fell or jumped from a burning building, inhaled a harmful substance, or was struck by or struck against an object as a result of an explosion or fire. This division also includes incidents in which the worker was injured due to being trapped in a fire or whose respirator had run out of oxygen during a fire. Excluded from this category are injuries to firefighters resulting from lifting fire hoses and falls not related to the fire or explosion itself, such as falls in the parking lot of a burning building.

ASSAULTS AND VIOLENT ACTSAssaults and violent Acts include cases in which a person was injured or made ill by intentional assaultsorbyviolent,harmfulactionsofunknownintent.Includedinthisdivisionareassaultsbyothers, injuries to oneself, and assaults by animals. This category includes injuries occurring in a hostile environment even though the person injured was not the intended victim, such as a teacher hit while breaking up a fight.

OTHER EVENTS OR EXPOSURESThis division classifies any event or exposure, which is not classified or listed under any other division.

Adapted from USBureauofLaborStatistics(2012), Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual.USDepartmentofLabor.Availableonline(December28,2012):http://www.bls.gov/iif/osh_oiics_2_4.pdf.

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OR-FACE ProgramOregon Institute of Occupational Health SciencesOHSU3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, L606Portland, OR 97239-3098

Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation(OR-FACE)isaprojectoftheOregonInstituteofOccupationalHealthSciencesatOregonHealth&ScienceUniversity(OHSU).OR-FACEissupportedby a cooperative agreement with the NationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyandHealth(NIOSH)(grant#2U60OH008472)throughtheOccupationalPublicHealthProgram(OPHP)ofthePublicHealthDivisionoftheOregonHealthAuthority.

OR-FACEconductssurveillance,investigation,andassessmentoftraumaticoccupationalfatalitiesinOregon,andproducessafetymaterialstopromoteworkersafety.OR-FACEinvestigationsoffataloccupationalincidents assess risk factors that include the working environment, the worker, activity, tools, energy exchange, and role of management.

phone: 503.494.2281e-mail: [email protected]

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All OR-FACE publications are posted on the OR-FACE website at

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/oregon-institute-occupational-health-sciences/outreach/or-face

Let us know how you use them! A short survey on the website allows you to

offer feedback. We appreciate your comments.

Contact Information

TheOregonInstituteofOccupationalHealthSciencesisdedicatedtohealthandsafetyintheworkforce.TheInsitute’smissionistopromotehealth,andpreventdiseaseanddisabilityamongworking Oregonians and their families during their employment years and through retirement. TheInstitutedoessothroughbasicandappliedresearch,outreach,andeducation.

OregonHealth&ScienceUniversityisdedicatedtoimprovingthehealthandqualityoflifeforall Oregonians through excellence, innovation and leadership in health care, education and research.OHSUincludestheschoolsofDentistry,Medicine,Nursing,andScience&Engineering;OHSUHospital;DoernbecherChildren’sHospital;numerousprimarycareandspecialtyclinics,multipleresearchinstitutes;andseveraloutreachandcommunityserviceunits.OHSUisanequalopportunity,affirmativeactioninstitution.

Published August 2015The material in this report is public information and may be freely copied and distributed.

This report is the product of OR-FACE and is presented here in its original form. The findings and conclusions of this report are those of OR-FACE and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

About the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences

at Oregon Health & Science University

Documents

Occupational Fatalities in Oregon - ohsu.edu Fatalities in Oregon ... • Melodie Bianchini Emeritus FACE Staff ... 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, L606 Portland, OR 97239-3098